UEFA Confirms 2026/27 Champions League Play-Off Draw as Clubs Learn Final Qualification Hurdles
The draw for the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League play-off round has been completed, with 14 clubs discovering the final obstacles standing between them and a place in Europe's elite club competition.
The play-off stage features teams competing through the Champions Path and the League Path, with the first-leg fixtures scheduled for 18 and 19 August, while the return matches will take place on 25 and 26 August.
The ties promise plenty of excitement as clubs from across Europe battle for the remaining places in the league phase of the Champions League.
Champions Path Fixtures
PFC Levski Sofia / FC Kairat Almaty vs AEK Athens FC
Celtic FC vs LASK
GNK Dinamo / FK Kauno Žalgiris vs Viking FK
Mjällby AIF / ŠK Slovan Bratislava vs FC Ararat-Armenia / NK Celje
Hapoel Beer-Sheva FC / FK Crvena Zvezda vs AGF Aarhus / Sabah FC
League Path Fixtures
Fenerbahçe SK / SK Sturm Graz vs AC Sparta Praha / Olympique Lyonnais
Olympiacos FC / N.E.C. Nijmegen vs R. Union Saint-Gilloise / FK Bodø/Glimt
Several of the ties remain dependent on the outcomes of earlier qualifying rounds, meaning some clubs are yet to confirm their places in the play-offs.
Among the standout fixtures is Celtic's clash with Austrian side LASK, while the League Path could produce heavyweight encounters involving clubs such as Fenerbahçe, Lyon, Olympiacos and Bodø/Glimt.
The winners of these two-legged contests will secure qualification for the lucrative UEFA Champions League league phase, while the losing teams will continue their European campaigns in the UEFA Europa League.
Opinion
The Champions League play-off round often produces some of the most dramatic football of the European season. Unlike the glamour of the later knockout stages, these fixtures carry enormous pressure because an entire season's ambitions can hinge on just two matches.
For clubs like Celtic, Olympiacos and potentially Lyon, qualification is about more than prestige—it also brings significant financial rewards and the opportunity to compete against Europe's biggest teams.
As always, expect surprises. Every year, underdogs seize the moment and established names are left disappointed. That unpredictability is what makes the Champions League qualifying rounds such a compelling spectacle, proving that the road to Europe's biggest club competition is never straightforward.
